Retro Arcade Enthusiasts Have Plenty to Celebrate Thanks to Quarter Arcades and New Wave Toys

Video games have been popular for over 50 years, and that’s created a strong market for retro collectibles aimed at people who grew up playing them in the 70s and 80s. You can see this with companies like Arcade1Up, which makes smaller versions of classic arcade cabinets like X-Men ’97, and many others. There’s also a growing interest in even smaller, portable retro gaming devices. While Basic Fun offers simple arcade classics, companies like Quarter Arcades and New Wave Toys are creating beautifully detailed, fully functional mini arcade cabinets that look great on display and are genuinely fun to play.

These 1:6 and 1:4 Scale Recreations Are Not Only Collectible — They’re a Lot of Fun!

A number of companies now make miniature arcade cabinets for customers, and many are worth checking out. If you’re a collector looking for high-quality options, two companies stand out. Quartercades creates cabinets at a 1:4 scale, typically around 17 inches tall. These are designed and built by Numskull Designs, a team clearly passionate about their work. They frequently share videos and ask their fans what games they’d like to see turned into cabinets, and they have a lot of exciting plans for the future. Currently, they offer the following cabinets:

  • Lunar Lander
  • Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja
  • BurgerTime
  • Qix
  • Zoo Keeper
  • Elevator Action
  • Space Invaders
  • Bubble Bobble

These are older cabinets that you’ll have to find on eBay or a similar marketplace:

  • Pepsi and 7-Up Vending Machine/drink cooler
  • Pac-Man
  • Pac-Man 40th
  • Ms. Pac-Man
  • Galaxian
  • Galaga
  • Bubble Bobble
  • Dig Dug
  • Space Invaders Part II
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
  • Polybius Charging Hub

They also sell accessories like tiny trash bins, fire extinguishers, candy dispensers, and barstools – all scaled to 1:4 size. These details let collectors build incredibly realistic miniature arcades, and many share photos of their creations online. Upcoming products include arcade cabinets for classic games like Pong and Battlezone, as well as a jukebox.

If You Prefer Smaller Cabinets, New Wave Toys Is the Place to Go

Both New Wave Toys and Quarter Arcades create smaller, licensed versions of classic arcade cabinets, but they approach design and features differently. New Wave Toys focuses on 1:6 scale cabinets, typically around 12 inches tall, and includes fun extras like mini posters, tokens, and controllers. Like Quarter Arcades, New Wave Toys’ cabinets are made with care by craftspeople who are passionate about retro gaming. Importantly, these aren’t flimsy plastic toys – they’re built with wood and quality materials to be truly playable, miniaturized versions of the original arcade games.

New Wave products are usually only made once. If you don’t buy one when it’s first released, you’ll likely have to find it secondhand on sites like eBay, which often drives up the price. This creates a fear of missing out for collectors, but New Wave still has many items available directly on their website. Here’s what New Wave Toys currently offers:

  • Tempest
  • Street Fighter II Championship Edition
  • Dragon’s Lair
  • Space Ace
  • 1942
  • 1943
  • Food Fight
  • Q*Bert
  • Missile Command
  • Ghosts ‘N Goblins
  • Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
  • Frenzy
  • Berzerk
  • Crystal Castles
  • Golden Tee

These are their other products that aren’t traditional video games:

  • Zoltar
  • Cigarette Machine USB Hub
  • Art-o-Mat Machine USB Hub
  • Change Machine USB Hub
  • Slee-Ball
  • Black Hole Pinball Machine
  • Coca-Cola Classic Cooler/Vending Machine

As a huge fan, I’m really impressed with how customizable their cabinets are – they have tons of options to fit exactly what you’re looking for! And if you’re like me and love miniature things, you’ll go crazy for their 1:6 scale arcade stuff. They’ve got everything to build your own little arcade, from barstools and cool blacklight posters to mini boomboxes. But the real showstopper is this incredible 47-piece Time-Out arcade reproduction – it even includes a little attendant and a working quarter distributor! It’s seriously amazing.

Do you have any of these items? Share in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-11 21:13